^28:1 Surely there is a mine for silver and a place for gold which they refine. ^28:2 Iron has been taken out of the earth and copper is molten out of the stone. ^28:3 Man sets an end to darkness and searches out to the furthest bound the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness. ^28:4 He breaks open a shaft away from where men journey, paths forgotten by the foot. They hang afar from men; they swing to and fro.

    ^28:5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread and underneath it is turned up as it were by fire. ^28:6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires and it has dust of gold.

    ^28:7 No bird of prey knows that path, nor has the falcon’s eye seen it. ^28:8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by it.

    ^28:9 He puts forth his hand upon the flinty rock. He overturns the mountains by the roots. ^28:10 He cuts out channels among the rocks and his eye sees every precious thing.

    ^28:11 He binds the streams that they do not trickle. And the thing that is hid he brings forth to light. ^28:12But where will wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

    ^28:13 Man does not know the price of it, nor is it found in the land of the living. ^28:14 The deep says, It is not in me. And the sea says, It is not with me.

    ^28:15 It cannot be gotten for gold, nor will silver be weighed for the price of it. ^28:16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

    ^28:17 Gold and glass is not equal to it, nor will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

    ^28:18 No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies. ^28:19The topaz of Ethiopia will not be equal to it, nor will it be valued with pure gold.

    ^28:20 Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?

    ^28:21 Since it is hid from the eyes of all living and kept closed from the birds of the heavens. ^28:22Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.

    ^28:23 God understands the way of it and he knows the place of it. ^28:24 For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees under the whole heaven, ^28:25 to make a weight for the wind. Yes, he distributes the waters by measure. ^28:26 When he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder, ^28:27 then he saw it and declared it. He established it, yes and searched it out.

    ^28:28 And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding.